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The SBA Disaster Loan Program: Overview and Possible Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides an overview of the Disaster Loan Program, discusses how disaster declarations trigger the SBA loan process, explains the different types of loans potentially available to disaster victims, and discusses terms and restrictions related to each type of loan. The report also explains the SBA disaster loan application process and provides national data on SBA loans from 2000 to 2009, including data related to the Gulf Coast hurricanes since 2005.
Date: July 29, 2010
Creator: Lindsay, Bruce R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Yemen: Background and U.S. Relations

Description: This report provides an overview and analysis of U.S.-Yemeni relations amidst evolving political change in Yemeni leadership, ongoing U.S. counterterrorism operations against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) operatives at large in Yemen's hinterlands, and international efforts to bolster the country's stability despite an array of daunting socio-economic problems.
Date: July 28, 2010
Creator: Sharp, Jeremy M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S.-China Military Contacts: Issues for Congress

Description: This CRS report, updated as warranted, discusses policy issues regarding military-to-military (mil-to-mil) contacts with the People's Republic of China (PRC) and provides a record of major contacts and crises since 1993. The United States suspended military contacts with China and imposed sanctions on arms sales in response to the Tiananmen Crackdown in 1989.
Date: July 22, 2010
Creator: Kan, Shirley A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Uganda: Current Conditions and the Crisis in North Uganda

Description: This report discusses the current political conditions of Uganda, which have long been ravaged by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), an armed rebel group backed by the government of Sudan. In particular, the report focuses on largely unsuccessful Ugandan efforts to resolve the conflict with the LRA, as well as talks with the U.S. under the Bush Administration and the recent suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, in July 2010.
Date: July 30, 2010
Creator: Dagne, Ted
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Ballast Water Management to Combat Invasive Species

Description: The 111th Congress may elect to consider legislation (H.R. 500 and S. 237) that has been introduced to amend and reauthorize the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to further study vessel ballast water management standards and modify how ballast water is handled. This report provides background on various approaches to ballast water management and reviews current ballast water management laws and programs.
Date: July 8, 2010
Creator: Buck, Eugene H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' Immigration Fees and Adjudication Costs: Proposed Adjustments and Historical Context

Description: This report discusses the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service's (USCIS) newly proposed fee schedule for immigration services. Issues for Congress to consider might include how USCIS fees have been computed and justified; whether anticipated revenue from revised fees will cover agency costs; how fiscal shortfalls might be funded; and what impact higher fees might have on the applicant pool.
Date: July 16, 2010
Creator: Kandel, William A. & Haddal, Chad C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Selected Issues for Congress

Description: This report summarizes provisions of selected legislation - enacted and proposed - that address oil spill policy issues raised after the April 20, 2010, explosion and resulting oil spill at the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico. This report focuses primarily on oil spill policy matters that concern prevention, preparedness, response, and the liability and compensation framework.
Date: July 30, 2010
Creator: Hagerty, Curry L. & Ramseur, Jonathan L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Commercial Fishery Disaster Assistance

Description: This report discusses disaster relief for commercial fishery, which be provided by the federal government to assist the fishing industry when it is affected by a commercial fishery failure. A commercial fishery failure occurs when fishermen endure economic hardships resulting from fish population declines or other disruptions to the fishery.
Date: July 29, 2010
Creator: Upton, Harold F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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FY2010 Supplemental for Wars, Disaster Assistance, Haiti Relief, and Other Programs

Description: This report provides an overview of FY2010 supplemental appropriations and discusses this year's supplemental focused on the effect on the deficit of additional spending.
Date: July 27, 2010
Creator: Belasco, Amy; Else, Daniel H.; Lindsay, Bruce R.; Margesson, Rhoda; Nakamura, Kennon H.; Taft-Morales, Maureen et al.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Navy Virginia (SSN-774) Class Attack Submarine Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: The Navy has been procuring Virginia (SSN-774) class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) at a rate of one per year for the past several years, and a total of 12 boats have been procured through FY2010. The Navy's proposed FY2011 budget increases the procurement rate to two boats per year. This report discusses the Navy's proposed FY2011 budget, which requests $3,441.5 million in procurement funding to complete the procurement cost of the 13th and 14th Virginia-class boats.
Date: July 8, 2010
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 151A and Annuities: Issues and Legislation

Description: This report explains the different types of annuities, the taxation of annuities, and disentangles the federal and state roles in the regulation of annuities. It outlines the SEC rule, including practical considerations for implementation. It also discusses congressional action in response to the SEC rule.
Date: July 1, 2010
Creator: Webel, Baird & Miller, Rena S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 151A and Annuities: Issues and Legislation

Description: This report explains the different types of annuities, the taxation of annuities, and disentangles the federal and state roles in the regulation of annuities. It outlines the SEC rule, including practical considerations for implementation. It also discusses legal and congressional action in response to the SEC rule.
Date: July 29, 2010
Creator: Webel, Baird & Miller, Rena S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Guinea: Background and Relations with the United States

Description: This report discusses the current political conditions in Guinea, as well as the considerable changes to Guinea's political landscape that have taken place over the past two years. The report also discusses U.S. interests and associated policy challenges in Guinea, centering around democratization, counternarcotics issues, regional stability, and socioeconomic development, among other issues.
Date: July 19, 2010
Creator: Arieff, Alexis & Cook, Nicolas
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Afghanistan: U.S. Foreign Assistance

Description: The U.S. program of assistance to Afghanistan is intended to stabilize and strengthen the Afghan economic, social, political, and security environment so as to blunt popular support for extremist forces in the region. Since 2001, nearly $48 billion has been appropriated toward this effort. This report provides a "big picture" overview of the U.S. aid program and congressional action. It describes what various aid agencies report they are doing in Afghanistan. It does not address the effectivene… more
Date: July 8, 2010
Creator: Tarnoff, Curt
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Instability and Humanitarian Conditions in Chad

Description: This report discusses political and humanitarian conditions in Chad including political instability, ethnic and regional conflict, and peacekeeping operations. The report also briefly touches upon economic conditions and U.S. Chadian relations.
Date: July 1, 2010
Creator: Ploch, Lauren
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Text and Multimedia Messaging: Emerging Issues for Congress

Description: This report covers issues for Congress regarding text and multimedia messaging. The increasing use of text and multimedia messaging has raised several policy issues: distracted driving, SMS spam, the inability of consumers to disable text messaging, text messaging price fixing, carrier blocking of common short code messages, deceptive and misleading common short code programs, protecting children from inappropriate content on wireless devices, "sexting," mobile cyberbullying, privacy of text me… more
Date: July 20, 2010
Creator: Figliola, Patricia Moloney
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federalism, State Sovereignty, and the Constitution: Basis and Limits of Congressional Power

Description: The lines of authority between states and the federal government are, to a significant extent, defined by the United States Constitution and relevant case law. In recent years, however, the Supreme Court has decided a number of cases that would seem to reevaluate this historical relationship. This report discusses state and federal legislative power generally, focusing on a number of these "federalism" cases.
Date: July 12, 2010
Creator: Thomas, Kenneth R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Navy Irregular Warfare and Counterterrorism Operations: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides background information and potential issues for Congress on the Navy's irregular warfare (IW) and counterterrorism (CT) operations. The Navy's IW and CT activities pose a number of potential oversight issues for Congress, including the definition of Navy IW activities and how much emphasis to place on IW and CT activities in future Navy budgets.
Date: July 30, 2010
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S.-EU Cooperation Against Terrorism

Description: This report examines the evolution of counterterrorism cooperation between the United States and the European Union (EU), particularly since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. It includes a discussion of U.S.-EU cooperation progress and ongoing challenges, as well as perspectives and issues for Congress.
Date: July 9, 2010
Creator: Archick, Kristin
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S.-Vietnam Relations in 2010: Current Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy

Description: This report looks at issues that impact the relationship between the U.S. and Vietnam such as: goals and interests by both countries in a bilateral relationship, economic and trade issues, human rights, U.S. foreign assistance to Vietnam, and recent Vietnamese political events.
Date: July 12, 2010
Creator: Manyin, Mark E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S.-Russian Civilian Nuclear Cooperation Agreement: Issues for Congress

Description: The United States and Russia signed a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement on May 6, 2008. President Bush submitted the agreement to Congress on May 13. The agreement was withdrawn from congressional consideration by President George W. Bush on September 8, 2008, in response to Russia's military actions in Georgia. President Obama transmitted the proposed text of the agreement to Congress on May 10, 2010, along with the required Nuclear Proliferation Assessment (NPAS) and his determination th… more
Date: July 9, 2010
Creator: Nikitin, Mary Beth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Tax Credit Bonds: Overview and Analysis

Description: Almost all state and local governments sell bonds to finance public projects and certain qualified private activities. Most of the bonds issued are tax-exempt bonds because the interest payments are not included in the bondholder's (purchaser's) federal taxable income. In contrast, Tax Credit Bonds (TCBs) are a type of bond that offers the holder a federal tax credit instead of interest. This report explains the tax credit mechanism and describes the market for the bonds.
Date: July 29, 2010
Creator: Maguire, Steven
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Rare Earth Elements: The Global Supply Chain

Description: This report provides a discussion on the major issues and concerns of the global supply chain for rare earth elements, their major end uses, and legislative and other policy proposals that Congress may consider to improve the U.S. rare earth position.
Date: July 28, 2010
Creator: Humphries, Marc
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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